A friend referred me to this shop as she had taken the Open Water Dive Program with them and…read morethoroughly enjoyed it. She said the instructor made her feel safe and helped her feel confident with her abilities in the water. I couldn't agree more. Steve is an excellent teacher/coach, and just a kind/patient human overall :) . I was deathly afraid of the mask removal underwater and Steve's calm approach helped me get over that fear. This shop truly puts safety as it's number one priority and I'm so glad to have found them. I'm thinking to take my advance class here as well now that I'm addicted to the sport and truly feel confident and safe in my abilities.

California Ocean Adventures is a FANTASTIC dive school and shop!!!…read more I researched a lot of dive schools before choosing this one. I was primarily looking to obtain my open water certification with a school who has a low student to teacher ratio. I also needed a patient instructor, as I was a bit challenged in the Discovery Scuba class I took in Maui. I drove down to Santa Cruz to buy the required mask, snorkel, fins, gloves, and booties for my upcoming certification. Both Brian and Steve suggested gear and gave me options that would meet my individual needs. I was very happy with my purchase. Brian, the instructor and owner exceeded my exceptions. He went above and beyond in so many ways! He was super patient, extremely encouraging, and made my dives very memorable!! Brian sets the class pace and learning to meet the students needs. Not only did we practice the skills needed for the certification, but we spent time on the dive just exploring and having fun! I highly recommend this place for all your scuba needs!!!

Nice little place and the guy behind the counter went out of his way to help me. Great business to…read moresupport vs online or cheap big box.

I was stoked they had the fish stringer I've been looking for. Nice and hot looking tender that…read morehelp me too.

I signed up for my Advanced PADI course through SF Scuba Schools and ended up with John from Carmel…read moreBay Divers. We spent the weekend in Monterey with a cozy class of 3 students. For the Advanced course, Saturday was a long but low-stress 8am-10pm day, and Sunday was 8:30am-3pm -- including time for meals and chillaxing. -Before the course:- I was nervous about various things including buoyancy skills, night diving, not getting enough attention from the instructor, getting too cold in the freezing Monterey waters, and falling behind everyone else in terms of skills. By the end, I wasn't worried about any of the above. -About the instructor:- John was insanely helpful, attentive, and experienced, and made me feel at ease the entire weekend. His down-to-earth attitude and humor definitely kept me going through the difficult sections of the class. -Before each dive:- John made sure that we understood exactly what we were going to do. He was always happy to answer my overly-abundant questions, and gave excellent instruction on what to do underwater, from the technical aspects to the emotional/mental ones (Settle down. Think warm thoughts. Fun is mandatory!). -During the dives:- I finally got properly weighted during our buoyancy checks, and IT FEELS SO GOOD! My buoyancy skills improved dramatically over the weekend. John was incredibly patient underwater. When I messed up one of the underwater navigation skills, he helped me through it again and helped me adjust where I went wrong the first time. Night diving was my biggest fear going into the course, and I wasn't even scared going into the pitch black ocean with John at my side. The ocean life is completely fascinating at night, and I'm excited to say that I'm not (as) scared of that crazy dark ocean abyss! -Between dives:- We had plenty of time to warm up, and I never once felt rushed. He even brought a tub of warm water for us to pour into our suits afterwards. -Last thoughts:- If you're looking to take any kind of scuba certification class, John is your go-to guy. I feel so much more confident in my diving skills after this past weekend. Already looking into taking another course with him (probably dry-suit because I'm a weenie when it comes to cold water). Thanks dude!!

WOW - what can I say?? If you are researching places to get PADI certified- GO HERE!!! Stop your…read moresearch now or you'll be sorry! The company is run by John Foxhall, a master diver with over 30 years of not only diving experience, but TEACHING experience. Other places may have similar COST, but they will guaranteed have a sub par experience. John is incredibly patient and compassionate for all his students. He is passionate about diving and ensures you not only have the skills required by PADI, but FUN IS MANDATORY. :) He is very accommodating to personal anxieties (of which I had no shortage), injuries/sore muscles (which i also experienced) and fitness levels (I'm average). He also has excellent equipment for rental and purchase and can explain the differences between bottom shelf, middle and top shelf products. My husband and I used John's course to prepare for a dive in the Cayman Islands and even though we will be "first-time" divers there, we feel confident we could keep up and/or lead among other divers. John has taken our skill sets from zero to extreme confidence in our ability! *****GRAB YOUR DIVE BUDDY AND A COUPLE OF FRIENDS AND GET CERTIFIED HERE.****** Also, if you are looking to take your basic certification to the next level, you want to do it with John. He has too much knowledge to keep all to himself!! Also, if you are averse to cold conditions, John has frequent certification classes further South which is also something the other places will not offer you. Can't recommend highly enough. Thank you John ad Carmel Bay Divers!!!

I tried out a beginner silks class at Radical Movement Factory on a whim years ago and it has been…read morebeyond life-changing. As a life-long runner, I have no flexibility at all and didn't know how I'd fit in with all the graceful aerialists I saw online but it just looked like so much fun and I wanted a way to shake up my fitness routine! The community at RMF has been so inclusive and welcoming of myself and everyone I've seen come through the doors over the years. Learning aerials has allowed me to feel strong and confident in a way I never had before while having a ton of fun in a great space. All the coaches are great, patient, kind, and put safety first in everything they do. Whether you've been wanting to try an aerial class, or think it could never be for you, I highly recommend giving it a try and you'll become hooked for life!

I've been going here for 5+ years and I was addicted after my first class! My main instructor Emily…read morehas helped me reach goals I thought would be impossible! Very community oriented for adults and children. I have performed in a few student showcases and fundraisers, a very fun experience and also great for setting and obtaining goals! Definitely would recommend for any level but intro for beginners of course. Emily can teach to a very high level on rope or silks and is a great asset to the community! Much love to radical !

Jessica does such a great job with the kids. We've had two of our children attend both classes and…read morecamps at Community Mountain Gym, and they've had nothing but positive experiences. She's patient, encouraging, and knows how to make learning new skills fun while helping kids build confidence. You can tell she genuinely cares about the kids and has created a welcoming environment for families. We're really lucky to have a place like this in our community, and I highly recommend it.

Just completed the open water certification, first time for my 14 year old son and was a refresher…read morefor me after about 10+ years of not diving. Overall its a really great experience, on day one of the course we were in the pool and the instructor (Dominic) kept things moving at a good pace so everyone was engaged. The highlight was the open water checkout dive down in Monterey which again Dominic really made the difference on, he led the group at just the right pace and was really a fantastic experience. Highly recommend!!

By the end of summer, my granddaughter who is here for 2 months, has not only learnt her strokes…read morebut is practicing diving and flip turns. Says swimming was the best experience this summer. When she started she wasn't comfortable swimming at the deep end. This is after a year or more of swim school in SF. Your instructors know how to engage the kids and win their trust. Keep it up!

Let me start by saying that I'm amazed that nobody has yet Yelped this event. Considering the…read morepopularity of other running events in this area, it's actually quite surprising. In any case, allow me to offer the first review. This is actually a dual event, a half and full marathon (with the latter being the Surfer's Path Marathon) that is really a marriage between Wharf To Wharf and the Santa Cruz Half Marathon. I ran the half so hopefully soon someone can provide some feedback on the full. If you love Wharf To Wharf (and this year's race selling out in one day suggests that you do), and you're into the half marathon scene, then you're going to love this run! Let me premise with this: The course is almost the precise route Wharf To Wharf is held on - with the difference being that runners loop around the Capitola wharf area and obviously run back. Expect a few rolling hills throughout the course to add a bit of challenge for you (in case 13.1 miles isn't enough) and the typical support of the Santa Cruz and Capitola communities as you run by. It would be irresponsible for me not to mention the finish line. Once you've completed about 13 miles, they've saved the last 30 or 40 yards for you on the beach... in the sand. So, if the miles you've just completed weren't difficult enough, be prepared for the change in footing. I actually stumbled a bit at that point and then gave a quick look around to see if anyone noticed. Oh yeah, it's the finish line, there are several thousand people there, and yes, they noticed. To rub salt into that would, my name was read by the race announcer as I crossed the finish line. Now everyone knows my name - you know "that guy that almost fell." That said, don't expect any glamorous photos at the finish line, and yes, there are photographers there to capture your special moment. I would suggest positioning yourself for more favorable action shots from the photographers elsewhere throughout the course. If you're into the bling, you'll appreciate the finisher's medal. Though smaller than many of my other medals, it's still pretty cool and has a fancy ribbon (I'm big on a nice ribbon - details man). This year's race was met with an absolute clear sky and a nice cool morning air that was perfect for running. That's part of the reason why I waited a week to post this. I wanted to wait and come off of my high from the race so I could give a better thought out perspective. My only real knock on this event is with the limited expo. Though at the beach in Capitola (which is cool), there weren't a lot of vendors. And of those that were there, many were advertising other races. Also, the packet pick up is kind of a pain. Considering the time of year, the weather is warming and more people are headed to the beach. So the seemingly simple task of parking your car to pick up your gear can become quite adventurous. Also, being from the San Jose area, it's inconvenient to have to make that drive just to pick up my bib. I will offer this though: Did I see a packet pick up on race day? I'm pretty sure there was a table that was staffed with WAY too many volunteers that was for race day pick ups. If that's the case, then please ignore my earlier complaint. To sum this up, think of the little things that you dislike about Wharf To Wharf and imagine those things no longer being an issue. Imagine not having to deal with parking and those damn bus lines! Imagine a race where there are only a fraction of the runners that are in Wharf To Wharf. I'm not sure. Now that I think about this, I like the race the way it is. Maybe I'm shooting myself in the foot here by providing a Yelp review and drawing more attention to it. Maybe I don't want too many people knowing about this. Maybe I don't want it to lose its charm by becoming more popular and bigger. I'm conflicted.

Went jogging along the Guadalupe River Trail that runs parallel to the lake, against the backyards…read moreof neighborhood homes, with easy access and street parking on a dead end (Chynoweth Ave). It isn't really a park-like setting, which is probably why I didn't see any visitors in the area, nor litter. Besides the sounds of traffic on highway 85 bridging over the lake, it's a peaceful place to enjoy the views and surrounding nature. I spotted some ducks and geese swimming around, and simply adored the teal waters glistening in the sunlight on this lovely Saturday afternoon in July.